Deadline: 6-Apr-25
The ECOM – Eurasian Coalition on Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity in partnership with the organizations “Aidsfonds” (Netherlands) and ICF “Alliance for Public Health” (Ukraine) is implementing a program aimed at reducing the negative impact of the Russian war against Ukraine on the access of key populations (KP) to HIV services and humanitarian assistance in the region of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA).
The programme provides grants to support initiatives of KP communities to ensure access of KPs to HIV-related services, to protect KPs’ rights and overcome discrimination and stigma, as well as to ensure access of KPs to humanitarian assistance.
In 2025, ECOM conducted a needs analysis of community organisations and experts from key populations to better tailor the current call for proposals to the needs of the region. One of the key findings was a reduction in funding for vital services for key populations in all countries. In this regard, several interviewees expressed concern and emphasised the need to ensure that the Key Population Services strand is sufficiently funded so that it is no less important than the advocacy strands.
Areas
- Areas supported within the framework of the competition:
- Provision of services for key groups in migration
- Ensuring accessibility of medical services, including testing for HIV, hepatitis and STIs.
- Organisation of consultations and accompaniment to medical institutions.
- Development of crisis psychological support programmes.
- Providing legal assistance, including support in obtaining documents.
- Development of programmes on social adaptation, employment and educational courses for migrants.
- Removing policy barriers to the ‘legalisation’ of HIV-affected migrants and their access to social or health services.
- Community-led monitoring;
- Collecting and systematising data on access to social or health services in the host country;
- Documenting cases of discrimination and barriers to accessing services.
- Training of lawyers and social workers to work with HIV-positive migrants.
- Informing KPs representatives about host country laws and procedures and their participation in advocacy for change.
- Establishing and/or maintaining measures aimed at changing and/or mitigating the impact of existing laws and procedures, as well as responding to new legislative initiatives that contribute to harassment and discrimination against people living with HIV and key populations.
- Creating and/or maintaining measures aimed at changing and/or mitigating the impact of existing laws and procedures and responding to new legislative initiatives that contribute to harassment and discrimination against people living with HIV and key populations.
- Formulating strategies for long-term improvement of living and working conditions for KPs.
- Engaging with health care providers to address discrimination.
- Campaigning at the national level to mitigate the impact of existing laws and procedures, as well as responding to new legislative initiatives
- Advocating for simplified migration procedures for people living with HIV.
- Building cross-sectoral coalitions of KP populations and other vulnerable groups to mitigate the impact of existing laws and procedures, as well as responding to new legislative initiatives
- Developing international partnerships to protect the rights of KP migrants.
- Provision of services for key groups in migration
Funding Information and Duration
- Grants of up to €50,000 for a period of up to 6 months with two reporting periods, and two tranches, proportionally divided between the implementation period, starting 1 May 2025.
Beneficiaries of the competition
- People living with HIV (PLHIV) and affected by TB;
- Trans people;
- LGBT and men who have sex with men (MSM);
- Sex workers and female sex workers;
- People who use drugs (PWUD);
- Women living with HIV;
- People with disabilities;
- Adolescents and young people vulnerable to HIV.
Eligibility Criteria
- Within the framework of this call for proposals, ECOM invites applications from non-governmental organisations and action groups from the following countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
- Priority will be given to community-led non-governmental organisations and community-led initiative groups.
- Programmes operating in Russia and Belarus are not supported under this competition.
- Current ECOM grantees from Round 3 are not eligible to participate in the competition. Organisations that do not have current active grants with ECOM are eligible to apply.
Ineligibility Criteria
- The following activities will not be funded:
- Individual participation in seminars, conferences;
- Procurement of ARVs;
- Purchase of equipment and machinery
- Subcontracting other organisations to carry out activities
For more information, visit ECOM.